Djibouti President Urges More Cooperation Between Chinese, Djibouti FirmsPresident of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, said Wednesday that he hopes Chinese entrepreneurs will cooperate more with entrepreneurs from his country and seek common development.Guelleh,who is on a state visit to China, made the remarks during a speech at the China-Djibouti Economic and Trade Seminar, which was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). About 100 Chinese and Djibouti entrepreneurs attended the seminar. The president said China is a trustworthy cooperative partner with Djibouti, and the China-African Cooperation Forum held in Beijing last year have encouraged cooperation in the economic and trade sectors between China and Africa. Guelleh stressed that he hopes the two sides can cooperate in areas of making construction materials, the development of perlite (glass) and salt products as well as shipping services. He promised his government will give full support to such cooperation. Trade between China and Djibouti grew rapidly since the two forged full diplomatic relations in 1979. Chinese statistics show that bilateral trade volume hit UUS$54.13 million last year, up 41.2 percent from a year ago. In addition, Chinese firms began to explore investment opportunities in Djibouti a few years ago. So far, the two sides have either signed contracts or reached a consensus on the building of a pharmaceutical factory, cement plant and jeep assembly lines in Djibouti. Said Ali Coubeche, chairman of the International Council of Industry and Trade of Djibouti, and Yu Xiaosong, president of CCPIT, signed an agreement of cooperation Wednesday, promising assistance to trade and economic cooperation for entrepreneurs of the two sides. |
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